In remarks published on Tuesday, Sharon described the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as "dangerous" and prone to miscalculation.

In the interview with the Tel Aviv-based Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Sharon repeated charges he made before the start of the U.S.-led war on Iraq that Baghdad had moved military equipment to Syria on the eve of the conflict, either to hide the weapons from U.S. forces or to transfer them to Hizbullah.

Calling for "very heavy" U.S. pressure on Syria, Sharon said it did not necessarily mean "going to war, but diplomatic and economic pressure".

He listed five demands that Israel wants the United States to raise with Syria:

-- The removal and dismantling of "Palestinian terrorist organizations" operating out of Damascus -- Hamas and Islamic Jihad.